GreyFeather

Species Comparison

The Quietest Parrot Species for Apartment Living

No parrot is silent. But some species are peaceful roommates — and others will get you evicted. Here's the honest breakdown.

Apartment-Friendly Species

Budgerigar (Budgie)

~65 dB

Constant soft chatter, rarely screams.

Cockatiel

~65–70 dB

Whistles and chirps; morning/evening 'flock calls' only.

Parrotlet

~65 dB

Tiny voice, big attitude. Apartment-perfect.

Bourke's Parakeet

~50 dB

Nearly silent. Active at dawn and dusk.

Pacific Parrotlet

~65 dB

Small chirps and clicks; occasional squeak.

Senegal Parrot

~70 dB

Quiet for a Poicephalus; short whistles.

Green Cheek Conure

~75 dB

The quietest conure — bearable in an apartment.

Pionus

~75 dB

Reserved, calm, rarely vocal.

Do NOT Buy These in an Apartment

  • Moluccan Cockatoo (~135 dB — jet engine loud)
  • Umbrella Cockatoo (~130 dB)
  • Sun Conure (~120 dB — piercing scream)
  • Nanday Conure (~120 dB)
  • Macaws (~105–120 dB)
  • Amazons (~100–110 dB, especially in breeding season)

For reference, a vacuum cleaner is ~70 dB and a chainsaw is ~110 dB. A Moluccan Cockatoo scream at close range can cause hearing damage.

How to Keep Any Parrot Quieter

  • Cover the cage at consistent bedtime — 12 hours of dark sleep reduces stress screaming.
  • Never respond to screams with attention. Wait for calm, then reward.
  • Provide 3–4+ hours of daily out-of-cage time; bored birds are loud birds.
  • Foraging toys and food puzzles reduce vocal-boredom by ~40%.
  • Don't rehome a bird because of morning/evening flock calls — that's normal parrot behaviour and cannot be trained out.

Our Honest Recommendation

For most apartments, a Cockatiel or Green Cheek Conure hits the sweet spot: quiet enough for neighbors, personable enough to feel like a real parrot, and small enough to house properly in a one-bedroom.